Hindsight Is 2021

Summary

Episode Summary: "Hindsight Is 2021"

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson presents a comprehensive discussion on the tumultuous events of 2021, featuring prominent voices such as Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles. This episode delves into the political upheavals, social movements, and significant policy decisions that have shaped the year, offering listeners insightful commentary and critical analysis.

---

1. Reflections on a "Strange" 2021

The episode opens with a reflection on the unprecedented nature of 2021, likened to the bizarre events of 2020. Senator Ted Cruz outlines a series of key developments that defined the year:

• Biden Administration Inauguration: The commencement of President Biden's term brought immediate political shifts.
• Trump's Second Impeachment ([00:19]): "President Trump was impeached again at the beginning of the year in August."
• Afghanistan Withdrawal ([00:19]): A botched military exit led to chaotic scenes and the tragic loss of 13 US service members.
• Infrastructure and COVID-19 Pandemic: Ongoing efforts to rebuild infrastructure and manage the pandemic remained central themes.
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ([00:19]): A landmark Supreme Court case that had significant implications.
• Free Britney Movement ([00:19]): A cultural phenomenon advocating for Britney Spears' freedom from conservatorship.
• Exodus from California ([00:19]): High-profile figures like Joe Rogan and Elon Musk relocated to Texas, citing restrictive California policies.
• Manchin’s Rejection of Build Back Better ([00:19]): Senator Joe Manchin's opposition derailed major legislative efforts.

2. The Free Britney Movement's Influence

The discussion shifts to the Free Britney movement, highlighting its unexpected prominence and impact:

• Podcast's Role ([01:08]): "This podcast helped lead the way on that and that's a real victory."
• Legal Insights ([01:24]): Detailed exploration of conservatorship laws and their abuses played a crucial role in public awareness.
• Constitutional Liberties ([01:24]): The movement underscored broader issues of individual rights and government overreach.

3. California Exodus to Texas: Motivations and Consequences

The conversation explores the mass migration from California to Texas, driven by:

• Economic and Regulatory Factors ([03:03]): High taxes and stringent regulations prompted businesses and individuals to seek more favorable environments.
• Elon Musk's Relocation ([03:47]): "Elon was publicly contemplating moving... I called him... 'We want you in Texas.'"
• Cultural Shifts ([03:47]): Leaders like Joe Rogan and media outlets such as the Daily Wire moved to Texas, reinforcing the state's appeal.
• Community Reception ([04:07]): Texans expressed enthusiasm for newcomers who value freedom and oppose "draconian" policies.

4. Critique of the Afghanistan Withdrawal and Media Coverage

Senator Cruz offers a scathing critique of the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal:

• Military Failure ([05:58]): "This caused the death of 13 US service members, and it shouldn't have."
• Media Complicity ([06:44]): Accusations that corporate media deliberately downplayed the crisis to shift focus towards vaccine mandates.
• Podcast as a Counter-Narrative ([06:44]): "I think this podcast does a much better job covering the details and facts and substance of it than do any of the major networks."

5. White House Pet Politics: A Light-Hearted Segment

The hosts transition to a lighter topic, discussing President Biden's decision to rehome his dog Major:

• Political Symbolism ([10:01]): The incident is framed as a "wedge issue," contrasting Biden’s pets with those of Republicans.
• Pet Naming Controversy ([13:18]): The name "Snowflake" is humorously scrutinized for its political connotations.
• Humorous Anecdotes ([14:14]): Personal stories about pet ownership add levity to the conversation.

6. Upcoming Topics and Listener Engagement

Looking ahead, the podcast teases future discussions and engages listeners with interactive elements:

• Cryptocurrency Deep Dive ([10:42]): "We're going to do a deep dive on bitcoin and crypto, and that will be coming in the new year."
• Giveaways and Contests ([15:03] - [18:26]): Promotions include merchandise discounts, live taping invitations, and rewards for podcast reviews, encouraging audience participation and community growth.

7. Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode concludes with a blend of humor and earnestness, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to addressing critical issues:

• Personal Anecdotes ([15:03]): Michael Knowles shares a humorous mishap with Bitcoin investment, juxtaposing personal stories with broader political themes.
• Community Building ([17:45]): Encouraging listeners to subscribe, review, and engage with the podcast to influence future content.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz ([00:19]): "2021 has been strange, almost as strange as 2020."
• Unknown Guest ([01:24]): "Our rights to liberty protected under the Constitution... it was a real victory."
• Senator Ted Cruz ([04:07]): "We are very glad to have them both in Texas."
• Unknown Guest ([06:44]): "The corporate media is corrupt and they're rabidly partisan."
• Unknown Guest ([11:56]): "If you displease your totalitarian Democratic masters, they will get rid of you."
• Michael Knowles ([15:03]): "I had invested a really tiny... my Coinbase said it was worth $7.7 billion... then I tried to cash it out and it was only worth 48 bucks."

---

Final Thoughts: "Hindsight Is 2021" serves as a critical lens on the year's pivotal events, blending political analysis with cultural commentary. Through candid discussions and insightful critiques, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the forces shaping contemporary America. Whether addressing high-stakes political maneuvers or lighter cultural moments, the episode encapsulates the complexities and challenges of navigating a "strange" year.

Transcript

[Michael Knowles]

What a long, strange year it has been. An extension of another long, strange year which happened the year before. Wonderful to be with all of you in the verdict community that whole time. This is very casual. I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ted Cruz]

2021 has been strange, almost as strange as 2020. There's been a lot of political developments. These are in no particular order, but this is a little list I compiled. We began the year, of course, with the Biden administration being inaugurated. Then let's not forget President Trump was impeached again at the beginning of the year in August. We had the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, that horrible 13 service members, US service members were killed. We had infrastructure. We had Covid from beginning to end. We had the Dobbs case before the Supreme Court. We had the Free Britney movement. Free Britney Spears from her, from her oppressive father. We had this exodus from California. Joe Rogan and Elon Musk and you guys at the Daily Wire, you all left California. We ended the year with Manchin saying no to build back better. A lot of different things happened this year.

[Michael Knowles]

The most important one I think, I think we could all agree on this is Free Britney. Senator, I know this was a very important issue for you and I'm not gonna say that you single handedly got Britney Spears custodianship removed, but I'm not going to say you didn't either.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, I got to say this podcast helped lead the way on that and that's a real victory. If you were predicting the impact of this pod two years ago, as we were in a basement in D.C. at 1 in the morning, helping free Britney Spears from her unjust confinement would not have been on the top 10 listeners. But that was one of my favorite pods we've done where we broke down the legal issues, the rules, and what conservatorship is and why it's abusive. And I do think the points we made contributed to efforts a lot of other people were making too. And we saw the court do the right thing and say she's a grown woman who has the right to make her own decisions in her own life. And that's on one level it's pop culture, but on another level it's right at the heart of the issues this podcast cares about, which is our rights to liberty protected under the Constitution. And that's what it was about. So it was a nice intersection and I'm glad we made it through the entire thing with neither you nor I singing any Britney Spears songs.

[Michael Knowles]

Hit me, Senator, one more time. This does Bring up a question, not just because you are a blonde lady, but because what Brittany was going through seems a little familiar. Do you ever feel like we've been in a sort of custody ship for the past couple of years? The FAUCI guardianship, where we're not allowed to control our own lives?

[Ted Cruz]

Yes, that's why it's so fun. I mean, the senator's correct. It's so fun to see this crossover between conservative policies and politics and pop culture. Because this idea of limited government, this idea of individual liberty, I mean, it's best for everybody. It's not just best for old Republicans, it's best for everybody in every situation. And that certainly was true in the case of Britney Spears. Senator, let me ask you though, about your home state of Texas. So your home state of Texas invited some pretty powerful people to leave California, which they did. Elon Musk, who was Time magazine's person of the Year. Joe Rogan, one of the biggest podcasts out there, I don't wanna say the biggest, cuz I know this podcast was number one, moved to Texas because of the draconian government policies that were impeding their businesses.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, you know, we are very glad to have them both in Texas. Although I will note that last year this podcast did beat Rogan for the number one ranking for an extended period of time. So that we're not going to forget. Michael was convinced that like we'd hacked into the algorithm to make that happen.

[Michael Knowles]

And we may have, I don't know.

[Unknown Guest]

Look, with Elon, I still remember when California was getting more and more draconian with COVID and he was publicly contemplating moving and he had, if I remember right, seven houses in California that he'd put them all on the market. And I called him, spent about 45 minutes on the phone with him, was actually out walking my dog, was walking Snowflake with my AirPods in talking to Elon Musk and saying, elon, come to Texas. We want you in Texas, we like jobs. We will protect your freedom, we will protect your ability to run your business. We want you to come and bring lots of high paying jobs and get away from the lunatics in California. And I gotta say, it was a very good conversation. Elon was actually one of the first CEOs I met when I was elected to the Senate in 2012. Elon came to D.C. and met with me in my basement office. When you're newly elected, they give you a temporary office that's down or maybe it was like early on you're in a little Basement, temporary Office and he CEO of SpaceX. And I have been the leading Republican on space for many years. And so we have worked very closely together on those issues. But we're glad to have Elon, we're glad to have Rogan, and we're glad to have lots of businesses coming. I will say Texans are always nervous about Californians coming. If they're coming for the right reasons, if they're coming to get away from high taxes and high regulations and crazy leftists running their lives, come to Texas. But remember what it is you don't like and don't vote for the same numskulls that screwed California up. Protect our freedoms here and you are more than welcome in our state.

[Ted Cruz]

Right, and we hope that's. I mean, that is a pretty prevalent attitude in Texas to point out Californians. Hopefully they don't. I mean, hopefully California is a lesson learned. Both Michael and I can't claim to have left this year. We both left last year. Senator, not to bring the mood down, but the withdrawal from Afghanistan at obviously the Biden administration in charge of this. I know we've briefly talked about impeachment, but this is not just a botched withdrawal in the sense that it was bad military policy or caused us a loss. This caused the death of 13 US service members, and it shouldn't have. They were well aware that it would be this dangerous. They went ahead with the plan anyway, looking back several months later, I mean, to me it's shocking that this dropped out of the news as quickly as it did.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, and that wasn't accidental. That wasn't organic. The corporate media is corrupt and they're rabidly partisan. And so as Americans were dying, as the disaster was unfolding, they had no choice but cover it for at least a moment or two. But they desperately wanted to change the subject. And if you remember, that's when Biden issued his illegal vaccine mandates because they knew the media would all happily cover the mandates and suddenly ignore Afghanistan. And so the people left behind, they can't make the news. The disaster that played out, that doesn't make the news. And, you know, amazingly, the Biden White House just gaslights the American people and they say, oh, it was a tremendous success and the media doesn't hold him to account at all. You know, I will say I actually think a much better job of covering Afghanistan and foreign policy is this podcast. You know, just yesterday I was out in Phoenix at The Turning Point USA, big national conference. They had like 8,000 people there. It was pretty phenomenal. And I had a chance to address the crowd, big, energetic, excited crowd. And afterwards one fellow came up to me and said, hey, thank you for bringing up foreign policy and getting into foreign policy and national security and particularly with young people, because young people don't necessarily hear a lot about the impact of foreign policy and national security. And I was reflecting with him, I said, that's one of the things we try to do on Verdict is get into Afghanistan where we had podcasts that did a deep dive on Afghanistan. What were the mistakes? What specifically caused the disaster? Nord Stream 2 We've done deep dives. Israel, we've done deep dives. To try to walk. China, we've done deep dives. This was one of the first sources that walk through the overwhelming evidence that Covid escaped from a Chinese government lab in Wuhan. And so foreign policy matters and keeping Americans safe matter. And I think this podcast, frankly, does a much better job covering the details and facts and substance of it than do any of the major networks.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. I mean, because we actually talk about it. So maybe the bar isn't set too high by the other networks, but not to diminish the work we do here, just a reminder for all you Verdict with Ted Cruz super fans out there. We are extending, extending our sale in our Merch shop to January 15th. You get 20% off if you use the promo code CHEERS. That is all the way through January 15th. You can go to Verdict with TedCruise.com shop to get all the good cactus merch that we've got going there. That's verdictwithtedcruise.com shop promo code cheers for 15% or 20% off through January 15th. Michael, something serious, something, something that we ought to talk about happened. It was news from the White House just this week. Joe Biden got rid of his dog Major. Now, he said that he rehomed the dog because the dog wasn't suitable for the White House. But I think we all know the dog was biting. Secret Service agents and other visitors to the White House, not only did they get rid of the dog, sent him to a farm, I guess, I don't know. They brought in a new puppy. What do you make of this?

[Michael Knowles]

This is a great wedge issue. You know, there aren't that many wedge issues where you can separate your opponent from their supporters. And I think this would be one of them because PETA and the animal activists are up in arms that Joe Biden is not adopting mutt from the pound. He's apparently getting sort of higher end dogs. And so I think this is a great opportunity on a very, very important issue and probably one of the few national issues that Joe Biden is aware of these days. I'm not sure that he knows much of what's going on in foreign policy or in the economy or the lockdowns, but he does probably see his dog. And so I think we've got to go pedal to the metal and keep pushing this very important issue.

[Ted Cruz]

And, Senator, this might be a question that was prompted from the great and powerful J. Hey, it might be a question I invented. I'm going to plead the fifth here and not tell you. Are we ever going to do an episode on bitcoin?

[Unknown Guest]

Absolutely. No. No, that. We're going to do a deep dive on bitcoin and crypto, and that will be coming in the new year. Very important issue. Let me go back to the question. Previously on the Majority. And I gotta say, Snowflake and I are both outraged. We are pissed. And, you know, unlike Biden's highfalutin dogs, you know, Snowflake is a rescue. And I gotta say this is a broader morality play that it reveals that if you displease your totalitarian Democratic masters, they will get rid of you. They will shop you out to someone else, they will send you to the vet to get fixed and then discard you for somebody else they have bred specifically to satisfy their desires. And I'm slightly tongue in cheek in that, but in some ways, I'm not.

[Ted Cruz]

This got dark really quick.

[Michael Knowles]

This is a very important point. People are always saying that the Republicans are the fat cats. No way. We're the party of the working class. We're the party of ordinary Americans. We're the party of rescue dogs. And those plutocrats in the White House, they're the ones breeding their fancy shepherds.

[Ted Cruz]

Senator, who named your dog Snowflake?

[Unknown Guest]

So our girls. I've got two little girls, and our dog is a white fluffball. And so Caroline and Catherine named him Snowflake. We have three pets. We have a dog named Snowflake, we have a cat named Topsy, and we have a little kitten named Marmalade. And the girls have named all three. Dad doesn't even get a vote in the names. And, you know, I will say, when it comes to pets, like, it's a strange. You know, it reminds me of the old joke of the man walking down a country road in France, and there's an old French farmer standing by the side of the road with a dog. And the man walking says, does your dog bite and the French farmer goes, no, he does not. The guy reaches down to pet the dog and the dog bites him and he's bleeding, and he looks at him and he goes, what's wrong with you? You told me your dog didn't bite. And the farmer looks at him and goes, that is not my dog. So sorry.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, the political crossover between the name. I know that maybe it was a name given the appearance of the dog being white and fluffy, but the political crossover, Snowflake. I just, you know, had to ask on behalf of the Cactus crew if that. If you had a hand in that or if you delegated that to your daughters.

[Unknown Guest]

So we actually named Snowflake before Snowflake became a thing, before it was a political term. We got snowflake. Oh, 2014. 2014 or 2015, I think it was. And so snowflake wasn't yet really a term. I think it was later than that that it became like a buzzword for these sensitive, fragile lefties. So when the girls named him, they just thought it was a cute name for a white, furry dog.

[Michael Knowles]

The same thing happened to me with my goldfish. Pansexual Latinx, we named her years and years ago. And then now it's become a hot button issue.

[Ted Cruz]

I can't tell you the story about my goldfish because my parents got me a goldfish when I was, what, like three years old? I named her Tiffany. I have no idea why, but she died the day after I got her because I had fished her out of the tank to give her a hug. And, you know, she didn't have the capacity to receive my love. So that was the end of pet ownership for me.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, I hope you buried her in a little blue box.

[Ted Cruz]

We gave her a sailor's funeral, if you will. A good old flush. Michael, I would be remiss if I don't ask you about the biggest event that happened in your year in 2021. I mean, this is a Life Chang event. When you, you know, you go from just being married to starting a family, and now you're a bitcoin millionaire. Tell us about that.

[Michael Knowles]

That's true. That was probably the most important step. Except the problem is this. I'm no longer a billionaire. I was really excited because for a brief moment on Coinbase, I had invested a very small amount of money. I don't know anything in crypto. I guess we'll get into it in a later episode. I invested a really tiny. Just kind of a gamble, and then I looked at my Coinbase and it said it was worth $7.7 billion. So I had penned these obnoxious, furious resignation letters. I was going to send them to Jeremy Boreing, Ben Shapiro, Senator Cruz. I was just going to go off into the sunset on my yacht and then I tried to cash it out and it was only worth 48 bucks. So I'm back at work. That's good. My kid is not going to be able to have his own island somewhere. He's probably going to have to work, which I guess is probably good for our souls in the long run. Well, wishing everybody lots and lots of fortune in the new year. Maybe that means $7 billion of Bitcoin. Maybe that means a new family. Maybe that means some big political wins that we're seeing at the Capitol, many of which are being pushed by the host of this show. So thank you very much on behalf of Liz and Senator Cruz. I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ted Cruz]

By the way, don't forget our tremendous giveaway in honor of the two year anniversary of Verdict. If we reach 15,000 members on Verdict plus by January 21, January 21 being of course the anniversary, the inaugural episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, then we will bring one Verdict plus member to a live taping of Verdict. Now, you don't have to pay anything. This is an unpaid. All you have to do is join the Verdict community at verdict with Ted Cruz.com/plus. If we reach 15,000 members by January 21st, maybe you will be invited to a live taping of verdict. Also on YouTube. We will be selecting 15 random people who leave comments on episode 100. That's episode 100 on YouTube. 15 random people. We will be selecting to get a box of Verdict merch from the Verdict merch store. We're talking about sweet cactus hats. We're talking about T shirts, we're talking about stickers. Really cool stuff. You could be one of the 15 lucky people. Head on over to our YouTube channel and leave comments. 15 of you are going to get a box of Verdict merch. And perhaps the most fun, this isn't exactly a giveaway, but it's even better if we get to 50,000 reviews on Apple podcasts. That means that you go over, you subscribe to the show Verdict with Ted Cruz, you leave us a five star rating. You give us a glowing, obviously great review over there. If we get to 50,000 reviews, then we're going to do a poll to see exactly what Michael and Senator Cruz are going to do in 2022. These are the options. And by the way, shout out to Real Truth Cactus for this idea. These are the options. Either the Senator wears a Braves jersey for a whole episode. That's option number one. Option number two, Michael and the Senator arm wrestle. I'm very biased, but this one's my favorite. Option number three, the cactus makes a guest appearance on our show. Or option number four, Michael roasts Princeton and the Senator roasts Yale in a Throwdown episode. 50,000 reviews on Apple Podcasts and this. You will be in control of one of the episodes in 2022. Head on over to Apple. Subscribe, give us a great review and those are our giveaways for the two year anniversary of Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Unknown Guest]

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, Freedom and Security pac, a political action committee dedicated to supporting conservative causes, organizations, and candidates across the country. In 2022, jobs, freedom and Security PAC plans to donate to conservative candidates running for Congress and help the Republican Party across the nation.